Kaffir Boy Chapter 47 Summary

Andre became a close friend. The fact that he had changed his ideas after experiencing the U.S. convinced Mark that South Africa's white society could also change.

Mark's family is again strapped financially. Mama gives birth to her seventh child, another girl, named Linah. Papa is laid off and the family faces starvation again.

Mark looks for work but he's too educated for the work available to most blacks.

Where he does qualify, he needs a work permit, but he can't get a pass because his parents aren't legally allowed to live in Alexandra.

Andre invites Mark to work for him at the sports shop but Mark says it's too risky.

When Andre gives him some money and some tennis clothes, Mark thanks him but Andre says it's nothing.

The money allows Mark to buy food, medicine, diapers, and formula for his family.

Mark improves a lot by playing tennis with Andre. He wins the Alexandra Open Tennis Championships for a second time.

He passes Form Four in the top 1% of the class and enters final year of secondary school.

Mr. Wilde at Simba Quix tells him that regardless of whether he passes matric (the exams for graduating), he would find a job at Simba Quix. Mr. Wilde claimed that they were paying their black and white managers the same salary.

Family members urge Mark to accept the job offer. Blacks with jobs like that lived in a section of Soweto known as "Beverly Hills."

Though Mark is tempted to take the job offer, knowing how well he could provide for his family with such a job, he knows he will never be happy until he's been to America. He wants to feel what it's like to be free. He just wishes he knew how to make it happen.